Graham Angers Legislative Leaders By Vetoing $23.8 Million In

Budget

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Bob Graham vetoed $23.8 million from the 1986-87 budget Monday, including pet projects of the next leaders of the state Senate and House.

The deletions are a relatively small amount of the $16.5 billion budget but they nonetheless angered legislative leaders who drafted the document.

''He has gone after the incoming president of the Senate and the incoming speaker of the House,'' said House Appropriations Chairman Sam Bell, D-Ormond Beach. ''He's done more than most could to unify the House and Senate leadership. Of course he won't be here to enjoy that.''

Graham is completing his second term as governor this year. He is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Paula Hawkins.

The largest items eliminated were a $7 million appropriation for a new liberal arts college in Broward County, home of Senate President-designate Ken Jenne, and a $5 million appropriation for a University of Florida-Santa Fe Community College performing arts center in Gainesville, home of House Speaker-designate Jon Mills.

Jenne's project, dubbed ''Ken Jenne U.'' during the final weeks of the legislative session, was wiped out. Graham eliminated both the $1 million in planning money for the new four-year college, which was to be operated by Florida Atlantic University, and the $6 million for construction.

The governor said the university was not requested by the Board of Regents and was not in the master plan for the state university system. Graham directed the regents and the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission to review its need and report to the governor and the Legislature next March.

Jenne, who has scheduled a press conference in Fort Lauderdale this morning, refused to comment Monday on the veto.

Mills' project did not fare as poorly as Jenne's. Of $9 million budgeted for the UF-Santa Fe facility, Graham allowed $2.5 million for an art museum and $1.5 million in planning for the performing arts center to remain in the budget. He vetoed $3 million for the first phase of construction of the performing arts center and $2 million for road construction in the area of the project.

Graham said the vetoed items had not been requested as community education or joint-use facilities.

Mills is vacationing in Colorado and could not be reached for comment.

Graham, who was campaigning Monday in the Northeast, said in his veto message that most of the vetoed items detracted from the state's ability to meet the needs of public school students. Graham has had a running battle with lawmakers over the percentage of money in the public education capital outlay section of the budget that is spent on public schools. Lawmakers have chosen to spend more than Graham would like on specific projects at universities and community colleges instead of on construction and maintenance for elementary and secondary schools.

Of the $23.8 million vetoed, almost $20 million came from trust funds, which include the PECO section of the bill. Just $3.9 million came from general revenue. Other vetoed items include:

-- $2.7 million for small cities' community development block grants.

-- $1.6 million for a Lakeland parking garage.

-- $1 million for a Northwest Florida Water Management District restoration program.

-- $1 million for planning campus lighting and parking at Florida State University.